utiful places,' and so for the matter of that does he. But it was
all lost trouble. At length he sits down at the table and begins to
write, and his look brightens: 'You _can_ help me, my good friend,' he
says; 'I have a hope left--who knows--who knows,'--and he writes a few
lines like an enraged and folds them and kisses the billet. 'Find
means,' says he, 'Rene, to get Johnny, the Shearman boy, to take this
to the old churchyard and place it in the place he knows of; or,
better still, should he chance upon Miss Landale to give it to her. He
is a sharp rogue,' says he, 'and I can trust his wits; but should you
not find him, dear Rene, you must do the commission for me yourself.
Now go--go,' he cries, and pushes me to the stairs. And, as I dared
remain no more, I had to leave him. Of course Monsieur the Captain has
not been here all this time without telling me of his hopes, and it is
clear that it is to bid farewell to Mademoiselle Madeleine that he is
playing with his life. It is as ill reasoning with a lover as a
lunatic: they are the same thing, _Ma foi_, but I trust to your honour
to bring him to his senses if any one can. And so, to continue, I went
down and I told the men in blue the boat was ready, we carried the
body; I left them at the Shearmans, as your honour knows. I found
Johnny and gave him the letter; he knew all about what to do, it
seemed. And then I came straight to the Hall."

"It is indeed a miserable business!" said Sir Adrian.

Rene heaved a great sigh of sympathy, as he noticed the increasing
concern on his master's face.

"You heard them mention my brother's name?" inquired the latter, after
following the train of his misgivings for a few moments. "You have
reason to think that Mr. Landale knew of these men's errand; other
reason, I mean, than having seen them with him just now?"

Rene's quick mind leaped at the meaning of the question:

"Yes, your honour. 'Mr. Landale will want to know of this,' says the
fat one; 'though it is too late,' he says." And Rene added ruefully:
"I have great fear. The captain is not at the end of his pains, if Mr.
Landale is ranged against him!"

Such was also Sir Adrian's thought. But he walked on for a time in
silence; and, having reached Scarthey, rapidly made his way into the
peel.

Captain Jack was still pacing the room much as Rene had described when
Sir Adrian entered upon him. The young man turned with a transient
look of surprise to the new-comer, the